MILSTEIN, CARL (2 May 1924 - 7 Nov. 1999) was a prominent developer and self-made millionaire who built homes in Brook Park in the 1950s and later built high-rise apartment complexes. Milstein was born in Cleveland to Ida (Rosen) and Morris Milstein, who ran a poultry business. He graduated from John Adams High School and briefly attended Ohio State University. After WORLD WAR II, Milstein sold appliances to returning veterans until he started a home building business, Alvin Homes, with his childhood friend, Alvin Siegal. They built as many as 1,000 houses a year in BROOK PARK near CLEVELAND HOPKINS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. Alvin Homes became the third-largest builder in the country. In the mid-1960s, Milstein started Associated Management Corp., which developed high-rise apartment complexes in Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Summit and Portage counties. Most of these developments were subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. By 1975 Milstein, with an annual income of $15 million, was the largest developer backed by HUD in northeast Ohio. Milstein's activities with HUD came under scrutiny in the late 1970s. Subsequent charges and penalties interrupted his career and activities. Following this setback he resumed his career as a developer and manager. In 1980 Milstein founded Prestige Management, which developed Landerhaven, Miles Point, and other office parks. He turned over the day-to-day operations of his business interests to other partners in 1984. Milstein devoted most of his time after 1984 to the Northfield Park Race Track. After buying the track with business partner George Steinbrenner in 1984, Milstein leased the track for twelve years. When Northfield Park almost went out of business, he took over the management reins and converted it into one of the premier harness race tracks in the country. In the 1990s the Northeast Ohio Apartment Association inducted Milstein into its Hall of Fame.
Milstein married Adeline (Zeman) in 1947. Together they had four children: Robert I., Susan M. (Friedman), Mark L., Ilene. Adeline and Ilene died when their car collided with a train in 1968. Milstein had four children as well with his second wife, Sandra M. (Neitzel): Brock E., Michelle R., Brooke L., and Brinah. Milstein died from complications following surgery and is buried at Lincoln Cemetery.
Finding aid for the Carl Milstein Papers. WRHS.